Pile Gate Tours

Pile Gate is a grand entrance into Dubrovnik’s Old Town, on its western wall.

Built in 1537 to protect the city from invaders and monitor trade, Pile Gate was originally reached via a wooden drawbridge, which was raised every evening, the gate locked and the key handed to the prince in an elaborate ceremony.

Pile Gate has an outer and inner gate with statues of St. Blaise, the city’s patron saint. The St. Blaise statue in the niche of the interior arch is the handiwork 20th-century Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic. You’ll also find an old door here that dates back to 1460.

As you pass over the stone bridge towards the outer gate you’ll notice a green space below. This space used to be the moat, another defence mechanism to deter those who wished to infiltrate the city.

Practical Info

As you pass between the gates you’ll notice a commemorative plaque that indicates the extent of the damage caused during the Siege of Dubrovnik in 1991 and 1992.